The Meralta Theater (in Culver City CA) opened in March 1924 in a building that fronted the 9600-block of Culver Blvd. Other businesses in the block included a sweet shop, a drapery, Western Union, and a second-story hotel. The ceremonies were hosted by Will Rogers and the movie shown was “The Galloping Fish”, produced by Thomas Ince at his local studio.
The theater’s name derived from the two owners, Pearl Merrill and Laura Peralta; they lived upstairs in the building and were also connected to the Meralta Theater in the city of Downey. Pearl sold real estate and later insurance in town, while Laura was a seamstress at the movie studios. This connection led to many klieg-lighted premieres of films by Charles Chaplin and others being held at the Meralta.
A fire during World War II halted operations for a while, due to wartime restrictions on construction, but arrangements were made to relocate to the second-story auditorium of City Hall until the theater could be rebuilt.
The films exhibited in later days at the Meralta were restricted to non-R-rated fare, since the two ladies still lived upstairs, and had a huge one-way-mirror plate glass window (perhaps 4-feet by 6-feet) in the living room of their apartment that looked straight at the screen. The window could be seen to the right [east] of the projection booth.
Operations continued into the 1980s, but under other management: the theater showed third-run features for a while, then movies made in India. After the death of both owners, the building was torn down and replaced with the Meralta Plaza office complex, which opened in 1983.
WOW! Saturday at the Palms Theater in the 1950s – what I remember most was the two-strip color Roy Rogers movies – also the two owners were clever, one Saturday during the intermission a kid sailed a flat popcorn box (like a Frisbee) at the screen and an adult came down the aisle and grabbed the kid and took him out – you coulda heard a pin drop – we always thought the managers arranged the event, but we were never sure so Saturdays were quite well-behaved after that
built in the 1930s as an open-air theater by Tom Sharpe, later enclosed; reportedly also known as the Chief Theater; currently the Perris Church of Christ; mis-labeled modern color photo at View link
originally built in 1925, major modifications in 1933 & 1947; bought in 1973 by four Long Beach State faculty members & current owner Howard Linn, as a venue to screen movies for film studies classes
formerly run as a single-screen art house by the local Laemmle chain, taken over by others and triplexed; their current schedule online at http://www.losfeliz.com/online/losfel3.htm
during 2020 & 2021 this theater is open on some Saturdays and they sell giant bags of popcorn and other snack bar goodies - very popular
The Meralta Theater (in Culver City CA) opened in March 1924 in a building that fronted the 9600-block of Culver Blvd. Other businesses in the block included a sweet shop, a drapery, Western Union, and a second-story hotel. The ceremonies were hosted by Will Rogers and the movie shown was “The Galloping Fish”, produced by Thomas Ince at his local studio.
The theater’s name derived from the two owners, Pearl Merrill and Laura Peralta; they lived upstairs in the building and were also connected to the Meralta Theater in the city of Downey. Pearl sold real estate and later insurance in town, while Laura was a seamstress at the movie studios. This connection led to many klieg-lighted premieres of films by Charles Chaplin and others being held at the Meralta.
A fire during World War II halted operations for a while, due to wartime restrictions on construction, but arrangements were made to relocate to the second-story auditorium of City Hall until the theater could be rebuilt.
The films exhibited in later days at the Meralta were restricted to non-R-rated fare, since the two ladies still lived upstairs, and had a huge one-way-mirror plate glass window (perhaps 4-feet by 6-feet) in the living room of their apartment that looked straight at the screen. The window could be seen to the right [east] of the projection booth.
Operations continued into the 1980s, but under other management: the theater showed third-run features for a while, then movies made in India. After the death of both owners, the building was torn down and replaced with the Meralta Plaza office complex, which opened in 1983.
WOW! Saturday at the Palms Theater in the 1950s – what I remember most was the two-strip color Roy Rogers movies – also the two owners were clever, one Saturday during the intermission a kid sailed a flat popcorn box (like a Frisbee) at the screen and an adult came down the aisle and grabbed the kid and took him out – you coulda heard a pin drop – we always thought the managers arranged the event, but we were never sure so Saturdays were quite well-behaved after that
you can see the Garry’s neon in the background in two night scenes of the movie “New In Town” [2009] starring Renee Zellweger
pix & events schedule can be found at http://gallupnm.org/el_morro_theatre
official website [tickets etc] at http://www.liveatthestate.com/
correct chain-site URL is http://www.cinemawest.com/noy.html
built in the 1930s as an open-air theater by Tom Sharpe, later enclosed; reportedly also known as the Chief Theater; currently the Perris Church of Christ; mis-labeled modern color photo at View link
some excellent modern photos of the Arlington are at http://www.quovadimus.org/sbarlington03/thumb.html
originally built in 1925, major modifications in 1933 & 1947; bought in 1973 by four Long Beach State faculty members & current owner Howard Linn, as a venue to screen movies for film studies classes
Mann altered their website, official webpage / showtimes now at
View link
Mann revised their website: official webpage / showtimes now at
View link
official webpage / showtimes
View link
The Metropolitan was the world’s first air-conditioned movie theater, as designed by Willis Carrier.
better weblink is http://mann.moviefone.com/services/graumanmain.adp
formerly run as a single-screen art house by the local Laemmle chain, taken over by others and triplexed; their current schedule online at http://www.losfeliz.com/online/losfel3.htm
correct weblink now
http://www.mcmenamins.com/sales/pubs/bagdad.html
history of the three main theaters in Culver City is at View link
history of the three main theaters in Culver City is at View link
See their website at http://www.foxtheateronline.com/.
This is also where the Kern Film Festival is held each January.